The present invention relates generally to a method of defining a region in relation to a surface, and to a region so defined.
The invention has been developed primarily to provide the basis for a surface-based interface which allows a user to input and interact with information via a network, and to obtain interactive printed matter on demand via high-speed networked color printers. Although the invention will largely be described herein with reference to this use, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to use in this field.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present application:
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
Presently, the majority of forms for accepting input from a user are either printed on paper or displayed on a computer screen. With a paper-based form, the user writes information on the form by hand, usually in spaces or boxes provided adjacent printed questions or instructions. The information is later keyed into a computer system for online storage processing and storage. With a screen-based form, the user enters information into the form via a computer keyboard. Both of these approaches have disadvantages. The screen-based approach is convenient to the form recipient, but requires that the user have access to a computer system. By contrast, the paper-based approach only requires the user to apply pen to paper, but requires the form recipient to wait for manual delivery of the form and perform data entry of its content.
It is an object of the present invention to combine advantages of paper-based forms and immediate online information capture.
In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a region defined in relation to a surface, coded data being disposed within the region, wherein the coded data includes identity data for identifying the region.
Preferably, the coded data takes the form of at least one tag. In a preferred form, there are a plurality of tags that substantially fill the region.
Preferably, each of the tags within a region are identical to each other, but are distinct from tags in a plurality of other regions.
In one preferred embodiment, the tags are positioned stochastically within the region. In an alternative preferment, the tags are positioned in a regular array within the region.
In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing a surface having a region, the method including the steps of:
(a) defining coded data, the coded data being indicative of:
a region identity associated with the region; and
a plurality of points within the region;
(b) disposing the coded data within a region on the surface
Preferably, in the first and second aspect, the coded data takes the form of at least one tag. In a preferred form, there a plurality of the tags substantially fill the region.
Preferably, each of the tags within a region are identical to each other, but are distinct from tags in a plurality of other regions.
In a particularly preferred form, the tags are printed onto a surface in the form of a piece of paper, and are configured to be read by a sensing device in the form of an optical sensing stylus. The tags are preferably printed using an ink that absorbs near infrared light but is substantially invisible to a human viewer under normal lighting conditions. When a user brings a sensing end of the stylus close to the surface, one or more of the tags are imaged, interpreted and decoded to provide an indication of the identity of the region from which the tag was imaged. This information can be used in a number of useful ways, including controlling a computer via interactive elements.
Further aspects of the invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description of preferred and other embodiments of the invention.